Alumni News /

Will Moddeman - aka ‘Brutus’ - graduates from The Ohio State University!

Will Moddeman, Carroll Class of 2020, graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University on May 5, 2024 from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Management, Leadership, and Policy along with a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA).  He will be staying in Columbus to join Deloitte Consulting as a Business Analyst within their Government and Public Service sector.

According to Will, Carroll not only prepared him to excel in higher education, but it instilled in him a desire to spread his school spirit in every way possible.  From cheering on the football team every fall to leading the basketball student section on Frontline to rallying Charity for house competitions, it was the spirit and love for Archbishop Carroll High School that transferred over to Ohio State and awarded him the greatest opportunity he could have ever asked for: representing the state’s school as its mascot, Brutus Buckeye.

During the spring semester of his sophomore year at The Ohio State University, Will noticed a flyer with information about trying out to be Brutus Buckeye.  With an ever-growing love for his university and its one-of-a-kind fan base, Will knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to continue showing his school spirit just as he did in high school.  Little did he know that he would make the team!

Will feels that the Brutus experience completely changed his college experience.  In his two years representing The Ohio State University as Brutus Buckeye, Will had the opportunity to bring to life the spirit of OSU’s fan base at a variety of events and games.  From the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to a commercial shoot in LA to the B1G 10k in Chicago, Brutus has taken him all over the country and awarded him some of the coolest memories one could ask for in college.  Will especially wants to thank Coach Triola and the Carroll Track program for training him in advance for the Brutus races at Ohio State football games as 100,000 people watched from the stands.

Despite all the big games and trips across the country, it was the local events around Columbus with students, families, patients, and other community members that were most memorable to Will.  From campus events to hospital visits at Nationwide and The James to community initiatives like My Special Word, seeing the joy that he brought to his community as Brutus Buckeye will always hold a special place in his heart.

Will states, “I can’t thank my coaches and the department of athletics enough for granting me such an amazing opportunity.  As always, go bucks!!”

Auditor honors Dot's Market for perfect score on pricing checks

Posted Fri, April 26th 2024 at 2:13 PM, by Joshua Richardson, Dayton 24/7 Now

...
DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF) -- The Montgomery County Auditor on Friday honored Dot's Market for its perfect score on pricing checks at both of its Montgomery County locations.

Auditor Karl Keith presented Dot's owner Nick Moshos with a plaque for a perfect score for four years running. The Centerville store, which is a new location, also received a perfect score the most recent testing year. There is a Dot's Market location in Bellbrook, which is in Greene County, and not tested by Keith's office.

Keith said he lives near the Belmont neighborhood and the Dot's has been in that location for 73 years.

He said a perfect score is not easy to achieve.

"It shows your commitment to the neighborhood, a commitment to your customers, so people know when they come here they know the price they see on the shelf is the price, they are going to pay at the checkout," Keith said.

The auditor also congratulated Dot's Market pricing coordinator Brittney Hummer.

Moshos credited the entire Dot's Market team for the award, and he planned to share it with everyone.

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To read another news article about Nick Moshos '10 working his way up from bagger at age 16 to owner at age 27 (in 2019), go here.

2023 Citizen of the Year Finalist: Gina Malczewski

By Ben Jodway, Midland Daily News
Published Dec 27, 2023 online
 

Gina Malczewski might be a biochemist, but she doesn’t like to teach with explosions. She’d rather show students how chemistry is part of everyday life.

In her nomination for 2023 Citizen of the Year, Malczewski was described as an “Energizer bunny.” Her passion for STEM education has led her down paths ranging from helping kids get interested in science through baking to traveling to Guatemala.

Going down the path of STEM as a woman was “a little discouraging,” she said. She didn’t have a lot of support.

“All the guys would always call you ‘honey,’” she said. “(The recruiters) would say, ‘Why do you want to do this? ’ or ‘Really, you think you’re going to be able to do this? ’”

That was when she had a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. The jobs were too monotonous for her anyway, she said.  

Malczewski wanted to design her own experiments.

“Yes, you sit on committees and you have to go through this stuff, especially when you’re in an industry, but there’s enough exciting stuff during the day that it’s certainly not boring,” she said.

She got a job at Dow Corning. There, her boss at the time was getting involved in introducing STEM to Midland students in the ‘90s. Her passion for STEM education blossomed out from there, she said.

“I started getting more and more involved in (American Chemical Society),” she said. “I got more involved in doing outreach, which is what I enjoyed.”

One of her favorite memories was going to Guatemala. There in 2016 and 2017, she brought science kits to hold a workshop with teachers some hands-on science—they only interacted through it with a textbook.

“Some of those folks have never seen a thermometer,” Malczewski said. “For the first time, these people were actually seeing (science).”

Teachers not only from the local area, but also some surrounding towns, came to learn from Malczewski’s team. Two years later, she taught children too and saw them “loving this exposure to science that they’ve never had before.”

That year, she was also invited to go to a University of Guatemala satellite campus to do a workshop for professors. She left her teaching supplies there, and the professors still do her workshop to show teachers-to-be science.

“They taught over 1,100 teachers with the supplies that I had left,” she said. “It was going forward, which made me feel really good.”

Seeing scientists in classrooms through the American Chemical Society has been a boom to STEM, she said.

“I may not look like your version of a scientist — but I am a scientist,” Malczewski said. “And that means you can be a scientist,” she said.

MIDLAND ACS CHEMISTRY FOR LIFE CENTENNIAL 1919-2019 - ONLINE BIO ABOUT DR. GINA MALCZEWSKI '72

Dr. Regina Malczewski worked for 29 years at Dow Corning in the fields of medical materials biotesting, personal care research, and biotechnology investigations. More precisely, as stated in a profile in the November 2021 volume of The Midland Chemist, she “…evaluated the biocompatibility of silicones for medical use, developed Si-based substrate binders using biotechnology, characterized the performance of silicones in personal care, tested materials for antimicrobial use and drug delivery, and investigated applications of nano-structured Si materials.”

Born in Dayton, OH, Gina graduated from Carroll High School (Dayton, OH) in 1972, earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Dayton (OH) in 1976 and her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1982. She completed postdoctoral studies in biological transformation at the Michigan Molecular Institute in Midland, MI, from 1982-3. In 2007, she attained secondary teaching certification in Michigan for Biology, Chemistry and General Science from Saginaw Valley State University.

The profile which follows may also be found in The Midland Chemist, Nov. 2021, Vol. 58, No.11, under the article “The Fifth Quarter: A Fulfilling Retirement Benefits from Staying Connected to the Young” by Steve Keinath, portions of which are reprinted from the October 7, 2021 issue of ACS Industry Matters Newsletter from the American Chemical Society. The full article, which begins on page 7, may be accessed at the bottom of this page.

“Gina has served the Midland Section ACS in numerous ways and elected roles, always with high energy. She served as the local section Chair in 2012, and again in 2015, plus fulfilling the associated roles of Chair-Elect, Past Chair, and Program Chair before and after each of the Chair officer years. She also served in the elected roles of Secretary in 2014, and Director in 2017-2019, and is currently serving as Director for the 2021-2023 term. During her terms of office as local section Chair, she led the effort to rework and update the Midland Section Handbook. Over the years, Gina has also led or been actively involved with a number of local section committees, including Long-Range Planning, Outreach/Kids and Chemistry, Teacher Support, Scholarship, and the 100th Anniversary celebration which culminated in the construction and display of the local section’s centennial exhibit for much of 2019 along with additional, special programs that year. She is also active in National ACS committee work.”

“Gina has been recognized with a number of awards, including the National ACS Local Section Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award, 2014; Midland Section ACS Science Education Volunteer of the Year Award, 2015; National ACS Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach, 2015; Midland Section ACS Outstanding Service to the American Chemical Society Award, 2018; and Michigan Governor’s Senior Volunteer Service Award, 2019. In addition, she was selected as an ACS Fellow in 2019.”

Gina “…has made six HELPS International trips to rural Guatemala, helping to install stoves and water filters, and providing science training to teachers there. Gina and her husband, Frank, volunteer for the local Red Cross. She is very proud of her family, including her three sons.”

Explore the full article and a Q&A with Gina in the attached issue of The Midland Chemist at https://midlandacs100.org/gina-malczewski-2/!

Published July 2023: Heritage University website

Heritage University nursing program director receives 2023 Nurse Educator Award from Washington State Nurses Association

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University nursing program director Christina Nyirati, Ph.D., was recently recognized for her work in bringing nursing education to under-represented populations. Nyirati was awarded the 2023 Nurse Educator Award by the Washington State Nurses Association during its convention in May.

The award is given every two years to a member who has demonstrated excellence in nursing education through evidence-based, innovative, and inspirational methods that incorporate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Dr. Nyirati founded the BSN program at Heritage University in 2014 with the mission to advance the health of multicultural families and communities in rural environments through excellence in nursing education, service, practice, and community-based research.

“I have worked with students who come to me and say I want to be a nurse, but they had been told by their high school guidance counselor they couldn’t be a nurse because they didn’t start speaking English until they were 7, 9, or 11 years old, and they didn’t have access to college prep courses,” said Nyirati in her acceptance speech. “Most of our students have been denied admission to as many as three nursing schools.”

The school has now graduated 80 highly capable and motivated nurses from rural communities who understand their communities.

“She has shaped the nursing program’s emphasis on cultural inclusivity with particular sensitivity to the Native communities from which it draws many of its students,” said Judy Huntington, MN, RN, who nominated Nyirati. Huntington served as WSNA executive director for nearly 19 years.

Heritage University President Andrew Sund, Ph.D. said that Dr Nyirati is truly deserving of this recognition from the WSNA. “Dr. Nyirati has dedicated her career to the exceptional education of nurses and to the elevation of the nursing profession to the highest standards. Her dedication to preparing health care professionals that serve their communities with the highest level of care possible is extraordinary.”

The WSNA Recognition Awards are made biennially in celebration of individuals who have made substantial contributions in nursing practice, leadership, education, and research. Nyirati was one of 10 individuals recognized at this year’s event. WSNA is the statewide association for the 110,000 nurses in Washington state and has been at the forefront of nursing advancements since it was founded in 1908.

For more information, contact Davidson Mance at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@Heritage.edu.

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An angel appears at home plate

The golden smile of Northern Kentucky’s Colton Kucera that was preserved – “miraculously” said Colton’s mom, Staci – by local dentist Dr. Greg Notestine after Kucera was hit by a pitch in a game against Wright State at Nischwitz Stadium in early May. The 95 mph pitch knocked one front tooth out and into the dirt, knocked another into the back of Colton’s mouth, loosened other teeth, put a gaping hole through his lip and left him with a concussion (his third in three years) and bleeding profusely. 

By Tom Archdeacon, Dayton Daily News
Submitted July 2, 2023
 

Suddenly, he was there like a heavenly apparition, she said.

Staci Kucera’s son, Colton, the lead-off hitter for the Northern Kentucky University baseball team, lay crumpled at home plate — his face covered in blood, his brain waves jolted akilter — as the Sunday afternoon crowd at Nischwitz Stadium watched in horrified silence.

Working a 1-2 count, the fourth pitch from Wright State’s Luke Stofel — a 95 mph fastball that drifted inside — clipped the bill of Kucera’s black helmet and ricocheted, full force, hitting him in the mouth.

Chuck Gerl, an NKU parent who works as a paramedic, rushed out of the stands, and got down in the dirt to hold a towel to Colton’s mouth and try to stem the profuse bleeding.

“It was an extremely scary situation,” said Steve Dintaman, the NKU assistant coach who once led the Sinclair Community College baseball program, still lives in Englewood and had recruited Colton from an Arizona junior college to Northern Kentucky.

In that fearful, unsettled moment, Staci said Gerl looked up and saw “this man standing above him” who said “’I’m a dentist.’ “Chuck said it felt like there was this aura about the man…Like he was an angel out of nowhere.”

Dr. Greg Notestine played baseball at Wright State in the early 1970s and since then has become a semi-regular around the program, watching some games from the Raiders’ dugout as “the unofficial dentist” of WSU baseball, he said.

Running a little late that day, he’d slipped into the back of the dugout just after that May 7 game had begun and saw the commotion at home plate. When he heard someone say “hit in face,” he knew he had to help.

The impact had knocked out Colton’s left front tooth — root and all — and had pushed the other front tooth back into his mouth. There was a hole in his lip and likely microfractures in the bones that once held those teeth in place.

Notestine said they figured the Norse outfielder was suffering a concussion — it would be his third in three seasons of college baseball — when they asked him his name and he answered: “Purple.”

Colton now remembers seeing the fateful pitch: “It was a two seamer and had a lot of movement, but I never thought it was close to hitting my head.”

He said his next memory also was of a winged figure, but not the one Gerl had sensed: “When I fell to the ground, I had my right arm below me to prop me up so I wasn’t just lying there. That’s when I looked at my left hand and saw about three left hands. It’s one of the most bizarre feelings I’ve ever had.

“I felt like when you watch Tweety Bird (the Looney Tunes character) and he gets hit by a hammer and suddenly you see a bunch of different Tweety Birds.”

After putting on gloves and checking to see the damage to Colton’s mouth, Notestine asked if anyone had found the missing tooth.

Eventually Norse head coach Dizzy Peyton discovered it in the dirt.

“He told me he almost threw up,” Colton now adds with a laugh.

Notestine stressed not touching the tooth too much and had it placed it in a jar filled with Save-A-Tooth preserving solution.

He said they needed to get to the hospital so Colton could have CT scans and suggested Miami Valley because it had a dental clinic.

When the ambulance pulled onto the field, Colton gave a thumbs up as he was lifted inside. Notestine and Norse assistant coach Hunter Losekamp got in with him.

Notestine’s comforting demeanor was the tonic he needed, Colton said:

“He kept me calm through the whole process. In the ambulance and in the emergency room, it was like I knew I was going to be OK.” He said he was further buoyed when he got a text from Stofel: “He wanted to make sure I was alright. He said he was praying for me. It was definitely very cool of him to do that.”

As all this was going on, Staci said she and her husband Ken got a phone call as they sat in their Sun City, Arizona, home waiting to watch the game on their computer.

“I saw the call was my son’s number,” Staci said. “I answered it ‘Hey Buddy, what’s up?’

“But it wasn’t Colton, it was his coach, Dizzy Peyton, and my husband now says I told him, “This isn’t going to be good.’

“He told me what happened, but I wasn’t hearing most of what he said, except the word concussion.”

She discovered there was just one flight later that day from Phoenix to Cincinnati. Although it was full, she put her name on the wait list, hurried to the airport and again through heavenly intervention, she says, one seat suddenly opened.

Back at Miami Valley, after Colton underwent his scans, Notestine said they were told the now privately-owned dental clinic was closed.

He called the woman to whom he’d sold his dental practice in Beavercreek — he now works out of the PedZ Dental office on Far Hills Ave. in Kettering — and she told him to go in and do whatever he needed.

He stitched Colton’s lip and then reset and bonded the teeth so they were fortified.

Although it’s recommended a dislodged tooth gets put back in within 20 minutes, Colton’s had been out close to 90 when Notestine instructed a dental intern at Miami Valley how to do it.

“My understanding is that if it weren’t for Greg, the kid would have lost a tooth or two,” said WSU athletics director Bob Grant.

“The word I use for all this is ‘miraculous,’” said Staci, who was surprised when she finally arrived at her son’s apartment. “Except for a swollen lip, he didn’t look that bad.”

She credited much of that to Notestine:

“I don’t understand how a man like that just happens to show up at this game — at the exact moment he was needed — and then steps on the field and takes charge. And afterward it wasn’t simply ‘Hey, good luck. Bye-bye. Gotta go.’ He stayed with our son for every step.

“But the more I’ve found out about him, the more I realize that’s how he is.

“What a wonderful, altruistic man.”

‘A good soul’

Notestine’s empathy for others, he said, was first developed by his parents, Genevieve and Delmar, as he grew up in East Dayton and then later, when he and his wife endured a tremendous loss of their own.

“As a kid, I remember times coming home and there’d be three extra kids at our dinner table,” he recalled. “My mom would say, ‘Yeah, they’re going to spend the night.’

“It wasn’t until years later that I found out the kids’ dad was in jail and the mom had her own (serious) problems. For my parents, there was always a place in their hearts to do for others.”

Notestine went to Carroll High School and then Wright State, where he joined the Raiders baseball team for the 1971-72 season. But he’d developed arm trouble in high school and at WSU it worsened until he couldn’t throw and he said he only was used as a pinch runner.

He pursued his studies, became a dentist and married Karen Heider, who was also from Carroll.

Initially they had trouble having children and adopted a baby boy at birth they named Andrew. As they’d been searching for a child, Karen became pregnant and son Luke was born six months after they got Andrew.

“Having two little boys, gosh it was so much fun,” Notestine remembered quietly as we sat together in the Nischwitz Stadium the other morning.

But his smile evaporated and his voice wavered as he told about losing Andrew in June of 1983:

“He was 20 months old. We were at the swimming pool and he had been eating some bite-sized pretzels. He got up and ran and sucked them down and choked.

“They got his heart going, but the next day he passed away.”

As he and Karen dealt with the crushing loss, they were contacted about a little girl who was up for adoption. They learned she’d been conceived the week Andrew died and that helped them make their decision.

“I felt like: ‘God, you’re talking to us here,’” he said. “That’s how we got Bethany.”

“Having lived through that traumatic experience taught me the value of life,” Notestine said. “It made me a better parent, a better neighbor, a better co-worker, overall, just a better person. I learned how fragile life can be. I learned to appreciate every day. And I know (Andrew) is in the hands of God and that gives me peace of mind.

“And over the years Karen and I have talked to other couples who lost a child to let them know it isn’t the end of the world. We look at that as a gift we could share with others going through the experience.”

His embrace of life shows in his daily undertakings, Grant said:

“From the very first time I met him, I thought, “Wow, this is a genuinely kind, good-hearted guy. Within five minutes of meeting him, you realize he’s just a good soul. And I think the day that NKU player was hurt, he showed that again.”

It’s also been evident in the decades of volunteer work he’s done at The Good Neighbor House, said its executive director, Michelle Collier.

Located at 627 E. First St. in Dayton — www.goodneighborhouse.org — the nonprofit organization offers medical treatment, dental work and a food pantry to the under-served in the Miami Valley.

Notestine directs the dental clinic and now serves on the board of directors.

His dental work — just as in his private practice, which draws people from across the nation — now centers on aiding tongued-tied people, from infants to adults, so they are able to nurse, eat, speak and sleep better, as well as overcome the stigma that often comes with the condition.

“He is just an amazing man,” Collier said. “He gets the big picture. He knows it’s not about making money. It’s about serving others and making sure that people know there are things that can be fixed in life.”

Back in the batter’s box

In the weeks that followed the accident — as Colton went through concussion protocol and visited dental specialists closer to NKU for everything from root canals to his ongoing Invisalign regimen with clear plastic teeth aligners — he vowed he’d be back playing by the Horizon League Tournament, which began 2 ½ weeks after he was hurt.

He was driven, in part, by the sense of brotherhood he felt with the team he’d just joined that season after two years at Glendale Community College in Arizona.

He’d chosen NKU over Hawaii because of few factors, including the recruitment by Dintaman.

“He reached out to me after seeing me at a junior college all-star game,” Colton said. “The first time we talked over an hour. It felt like I was talking to one of my good friends.”

“What a man!” Staci said. “The things he said about the program have all been true. It’s been a great place for Colton.”

And sure enough, on May 24, there was Colton, at bat for the Norse in their Horizon League Tournament opener, right back at Nischwitz Stadium.

He’d been medically cleared the day before but only if he wore a helmet with a wire cage across the front. It was the first time he’d face live pitching since he’d been hurt.

Staci and Ken were in the crowd and she said she was “scared to death.”

Colton said while it “definitely was a strange feeling” being back at WSU, he pushed away any fears:

“I’ve had thousands of at-bats in my life, so once I stepped in the batter’s box, I never thought about getting hit in the head again.”

He got one hit that day against Purdue Fort Wayne and then smacked two doubles the next day against Oakland. On the third day — NKU’s final game — he added two more hits.

He was named to the All-Tournament team and finished the season as the Horizon League’s batting champ with a .382 average.

Before the tournament began, Staci and Ken surprised Notestine and visited him at his Far Hills office. Then after the first game, Colton met him on the field.

Notestine said he’s been impressed by Colton from the start:

“I never met a nicer kid in a stressful situation. He was polite, courteous, calm. He was a true gentleman.”

Colton is now back at Northern Kentucky, training daily while getting more work done on his teeth — they’ll be as good as before Notestine believes — and he’s working for the Cincinnati Reds.

Just as he liked what he saw in Colton, Notestine has developed a real appreciation of the NKU team.

He told how, after he’d finished taking care of Colton the day of the accident, the Norse team bus pulled up to Fairfield Road dental clinic where they were:

“Every team member got off the bus and they were cheering. They were just one step away from hoisting Colton on their shoulders.

“Their attitude was phenomenal. I remember thinking, ‘This is the Horizon League at its best. These are kids who still want to play. You can see they love each other.’

“Man, that just warmed my heart.”

Colton felt it, too:

“I couldn’t believe it when the bus pulled up. They’d waited for me!

“I probably gave out 40 hugs right outside the bus.”

And although his lip was swollen, he managed to give enough of a smile that you saw his teeth.

Thanks to an angel, you saw all of them.

To read another Dayton Daily News article about Dr. Greg Notestine '71 and his important tongue-tied dental work, go here.

Musical, Interactive Plant Sculpture Sprouts Up along Great Miami River

By Zoe Kalen Hill, Dayton.com Staff Writer
April 22, 2023

Photo by Marshall Gorby: The side pieces of Michael Bashaw's latest sculpture assembled in his studio. The side fiddlehead ferns stand at 7 feet tall and the center piece is over 18 feet tall. 

A new sculpture stands in Dayton at the end of the bridge at West Monument Avenue near the Dayton Masonic Center.

Set to debut Monday, April 24, the installment, titled “Wind in the Garden,” is the latest interactive and musical work of art created by sculptor and multi-instrumentalist Michael Bashaw (1967 Carroll Graduate). Commissioned by the Garden Club of Dayton, Bashaw combined aluminum and stainless steel to create an art deco-style fiddlehead fern that stands at over 18 feet tall on the edge of the Great Miami River.

A ring of metal on the center pillar is inscribed with “Centennial Overlook,” “The Garden Club of Dayton” and “1922-2022″ in celebration of the organization’s recent centennial birthday. The Centennial Overlook is a part of the redevelopment of Sunrise Park in the Riverfront Plan the Garden Club is working in conjunction with Fiver Rivers MetroParks.

“I’ve wanted to do a piece somewhere along the river for years,” Bashaw said. “This was a great opportunity for me, so I really appreciate the chance to make something happen. It’s a very prominent site that overlooks the river at a really dramatic spot.”

The river plays a role in the installation by creating wind gusts that interact with the sculpture. Depending on the strength of the gusts, adjustable pipes in the center of the sculpture will create different harmonics akin to the sound of a flute by capturing the wind and splitting the tone.

By using perforated aluminum in the project, Bashaw was also able to integrate a moiré effect into the sculpture. The aluminum sheets can create mind-bending patterns when overlaying grids, causing the effect.

“When you’re moving closer to it, all of a sudden — and this is perfect for the Garden Club — you’ll see this almost mandala-like floral pattern, like a chrysanthemum almost, in sections throughout the piece,” Bashaw said.

The sculpture is fit with lights on the inside, which Bashaw said makes the piece a sight to see even at night. Each side section of the fiddlehead fern includes musical elements that can be activated by a knob on the side of the sculpture as well.

Michael Bashaw was inducted into the Archbishop Carroll High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009. 

Since its opening in January of 1988, more than 6,500 artists have delighted 20 million theatergoers throughout 13,981 performances of The Phantom of the Opera during its 35 year run. Kyle Anderson ‘07 played in the pit orchestra for the show’s final six weeks, including the historic closing night of the longest running production in Broadway history.

Anderson’s involvement with the legendary Broadway musical began in August of 2022 when he became the french horn substitute for the show. He had played off and on before taking a long-term substitute position for the show’s final six weeks, including the curtain call on April 16, 2023. It was during that six week stay that Anderson became very close with his fellow pit orchestra colleagues, 11 of whom had been playing with the show since the beginning of the production, years before Anderson was even born. “It didn’t matter how long you had been there,” Kyle said, “Everyone was close, especially with all of the emotions about the close (of the show).”

“Bittersweet” was a common feeling for Anderson and the rest of the cast and crew during those final six weeks, as some orchestra members were moving on to other gigs and others were retiring after making The Phantom of the Opera their lifelong career. “It was bittersweet for me too because I had just started bonding with everyone and had had six full weeks there (with eight shows per week),” he said.

Anderson had the pleasure of playing under the show’s music supervisor and conductor, David Caddick, who had been with the show since its initial workshop days prior to its Broadway run. As standard practice for musicians entering a Broadway show, Anderson was given a video of Caddick conducting to rehearse with at home, and he was able to sit in the pit orchestra during one of the shows to read through the orchestral score. Unlike other Broadway gigs, however, Kyle had three rehearsals with the full pit, as new music was added to the show’s closing for when the show’s creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber, its producers, and the original cast members joined the final cast members onstage at the end of the show.

He recalled the electricity buzzing throughout the Majestic Theatre on closing night. “I had never heard (an audience) reception like that. Every time somebody came onstage, the audience went wild, and it was just crazy,” he remembered.

Though his experience with Phantom was an incredible moment in his career, it was not his Broadway debut, nor was it the first time he had played in a pit orchestra. Kyle started playing the piano at age five and then switched to the french horn when he was ten. It was then that he knew that he wanted to make a career out of playing the horn, hoping to someday play in a symphony orchestra.

During his time at Archbishop Carroll High School, Kyle was very involved in the music program, and he recalls the valuable lessons he learned from current Music Department chair Mr. Carl Soucek and the other directors involved with the program during Kyle’s time playing in the concert band, musical pit orchestras, and the marching band. “I just remember it being a fun time – that it never felt like work… I carry that positive, fun, competitive attitude to what I do today,” Anderson said. He also fondly recalled his involvement in the pit orchestras for the Muse Machine musicals as well.

After graduating from high school, Kyle continued his french horn studies at Julliard, and he has been involved with several ensembles and symphonies since. His involvement with the American Symphony Orchestra led Kyle to work with the principal horn player for Phantom, and an opportunity arose. Having worked with additional Broadway pit orchestra professionals, Anderson had networking connections that allowed him to first audition for a horn substitute seat on his first Broadway show, The Lion King, in September of 2019. He will play his 100th show there this May.

In addition to The Lion King, he is currently the french horn seat substitute for four additional Broadway productions. He plays horn for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Camelot, and he accompanies Josh Groban in the new revival of Sweeny Todd. This May, he will add more Broadway history to his resume when he started playing as the substitute french horn player for New York, New York, -the new adaptation of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb’s score with additional lyrics from Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Channeling the positive energy and fun he learned from his Patriot music ensembles, Kyle says he is enjoying turning his everyday job into a passion and hobby. “It’s fun to play these new shows,” Anderson said. He feels like he is at the top of his game and that he has “made it.” In the future, he hopes to secure a more permanent chair position in a Broadway musical, like many of his colleagues had while playing for The Phantom of the Opera. That experience, for Anderson, “was probably one of the largest moments in my career so far, and I think it’s going to be hard to top that."

Wright State names new men’s soccer coach 

Posted by Dayton Daily News, April 20, 2023

FAIRBORN — Alex Van Der Sluijs gave up a successful stint as Wilmington College’s soccer coach to become a Wright State assistant last year. And though the jump to Division I was a sound career move, he didn’t do it for professional reasons.

“It was a family decision. I didn’t have a full-time assistant at Wilmington, and the hours were a bit insane,” said Van Der Sluijs, who has two children under age 5.

“I wanted to be closer. We live in Beavercreek, and I was home at 8 or 9 o’clock. And with two young kids, I missed a lot of quality time.”

The 38-year-old Dayton native will get to keep that short commute home and have his family nearby after being named the Wright State men’s coach Tuesday.

And his one season on the staff was a factor in being named to replace Jake Slemker.

Van Der Sluijs — it’s pronounced Van Der Slice, and he’s known as coach Slice — had a multitude of duties on the staff, but his main focus was building bonds with the players and exhibiting his passion for the game.

“Coaching is a calling. That’s what draws you to it,” said Van Der Sluijs, who spent four years at Wilmington, seven at Defiance College and three at Chaminade Julienne.

“Ultimately, I want to love and care for our guys … I want them to play for each other. I think that’s the way to sustain winning and build something great that lasts.”

Slemker, who was let go March 30, led the Raiders to their first Horizon League regular-season title in is first year in 2018 and had them ranked as high as 11th nationally.

They won their first league tourney crown in 2019 and beat Notre Dame in a first-round NCAA game.

But they dropped off offensively the last three seasons while going a combined 14-20-8.

After scoring 44 and 46 goals his first two seasons, they tallied a combined 55 the last three.

“I was a forward in my day, and I want us to play creative, free soccer,” said Van Der Sluijs, who was a three-time all-conference pick at Wilmington.

“I want us to attack and bring a swag to our game. Soccer is just so beautiful, and I want to keep it artful. When guys are playing with joy, it leads to winning.”

But Van Der Sluijs admitted the move has been bittersweet because of his friendship with Slemker.

“There’s some conflicting emotions with it. What he did here was great,” he said.

“But ultimately, the opportunity here was so great. It felt like the right thing when this came open and the administration put their faith in me. Our visions aligned.”

Congratulations to Megan Caldwell, 2020 Archbishop Carroll High School Graduate!

Ohio Military Kids Award Winner:
Military Youth of the Year - Megan Caldwell

Megan was recognized April 19th by Brigadier General Woodruff and State 4-H Leader Dr. Kirk Bloir.  Thanks to Megan for the commitment, time, and volunteering she has given to Ohio Military Kids.

Megan is a junior biology major at Otterbein University.

Wealth is Women’s Work: How Women Can Make a Long-Term Impact with a Career in Wealth Management

Purchase book on Amazon here

More women than ever before are the primary financial decision-makers in their households, but the number of women in wealth management careers continues to lag.  In Wealth is Women’s Work, 1967 Carroll Graduate Peggy (Miller) Ruhlin combines stories and statistics to dispel the myths, hesitations, and beliefs that keep women from pursuing careers as financial planners. Ruhlin argues for the benefits of a career in wealth management― including work-life balance, excellent pay, and rewarding relationships―and highlights the unique skills and talents that women bring to the field.

In these pages, Ruhlin speaks to women of all ages, inviting them to consider careers as financial planners, showing them the transferable skills that they already possess, and offering advice on how to pursue internships, jobs, and formal certification. In conjunction with her efforts to recruit women to the profession, Ruhlin directly addressed industry gatekeepers, at once admonishing and encouraging them to hire and mentor more women.

Peggy Ruhlin is the retired Chair of the Board of Directors of Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, the Columbus, Ohio-based wealth management firm. She was its Chief Executive Officer from 2000 to 2019, and under her leadership, the company won the 2011 Charles Schwab Best in Business IMPACT Award. Peggy is one of America’s most distinguished women in wealth management, receiving the Alexandra Armstrong Award for Lifetime Achievement. She is a Certified Public Accountant (Retired) with a Personal Financial Specialist accreditation, and a Certified Financial Planner certificant. 

Peggy was inducted into the Archbishop Carroll High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009.

VOICES: Local journalism needs our support

By Dr. Richard Campbell '67
Published in Dayton Daily News, IDEAS & VOICES, April 7, 2023

Growing up, my brothers and I were all Dayton Daily News paperboys – our first jobs. Three of us later worked as reporters at various times in our lives. In 2019, our mom, Molly Campbell, won a contest as the oldest continuous reader the DDN could find. She has been reading the paper since 1932, when as a 6-year-old, she and her sisters – daughters of Croatian immigrants — used the paper to help them learn English. During World War II she served editor of her high school paper at Wilbur Wright. Mom is nearly 97 and still reads the paper every day … and still writes the occasional letter-to-the-editor.

Before retiring in 2019, I chaired the journalism and media studies programs at Miami University, and for several years met with various DDN editors to try to create a partnership that would benefit both our journalism students and Cox’s Oxford Press (now a 4-page insert in the Sunday’s Journal-News, the paper that serves Hamilton and Middletown). These efforts always seemed to fall apart – usually because Cox was undergoing a round of downsizing or an ownership change. In 2018, when Oxford was in danger of becoming what we now call a “news desert” – a community or town that has little or no access to local news — I helped our department start the Oxford Observer. An online paper, the Observer is supported by Miami and the Oxford Community Foundation.

Back in 2017, a landmark University of North Carolina study identified 1,300 U.S. communities as news deserts. By 2020, that figure had jumped to 1,800. In the last 20+ years, the U.S. has lost more than half the workforce of daily newspaper reporters — from 56,000 in 2001 to fewer than 27,000 today. Some 2,500 daily and weekly papers have stopped publishing since 2005. Today, an average of two papers shut down every week. A generation of promising young reporters have chosen other career paths.

While national polls show that local TV and newspaper journalism remains, by far, the most trusted news source, citizens in many rural and suburban communities are left with nothing but a cacophony of cable talking heads, radio windbags, partisan tweeters, and Facebook fomenters. In these news deserts, communities lack the local news stories that once served as a shared foundation of information – that “first draft of history”–often the starting point from which a community could address its concerns and problems.

With more than 85 percent of adults today owning smartphones, we indeed have easy access to all sorts of national news and entertainment stories, but also fervent misinformation. And in this age of the internet, many of us tend to seek information that affirms our own values and beliefs. According to a 2019 Brookings Institution study, millions of Americans today see only national stories, and many of those “focus heavily on partisan conflict.” More alarming still, Brookings found the decline in local reporting has been accompanied by “a diminished capacity to hold elected officials and other local leaders accountable and a general disengagement from local politics.” (We are all familiar with elected politicians who fabricate their resumes, knowing it is unlikely local reporters will be vetting them.)

A major problem facing local journalism initiatives is that most philanthropic funding for journalism today goes to national initiatives such as ProPublica. One national effort, however, Report for America (RFA) is specifically devoted to recruiting and adding reporters to understaffed newsrooms through salary matches. Some of our best journalism students at Miami started their careers in RFA jobs in Columbus and Cincinnati. RFA support allows newspapers to report on rural areas that many “downsized” papers had stopped covering. Still, the top national news outlets, based chiefly in New York and Washington, D.C., do not see news deserts as a national problem, paying only occasional attention to the crisis.

More than 20 years ago, the Boston Globe spotlighted a regional problem of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests. The regional Globe, at that time owned by the New York Times, was better positioned to circulate its stories nationally to other papers through the Times wire service. Within a short time, as other local papers investigated the crisis in their regional archdioceses, this was no longer just a story about a few local “bad apple” priests here and there, but a systemic global problem in the Catholic Church. But 20 years ago, we had a larger network of journalists who were able to report on the scope and impact of the abuse. Similarly, the story of local news deserts is not about the closing of one paper here and another paper there. It is the story of an entire network, critical to a nation’s welfare, that has lost its moorings. Still, many pundits with the power to reach mass audiences are not connecting the dots, not even recognizing that the loss of local journalism is a major national story.

When we face national crises such as race relations, wealth disparity, or our partisan divide, pundits—especially on cable TV—call for a “national conversation.” In fact, the conversations that foster real change are, almost by definition, local. Yet in places where there are no reporters to interview citizens, vet candidates, and cover town meetings, these stories and those conversations that happen during local cafe lunches or at breakfasts at MacDonald’s are never covered.

Since the internet emerged, newspaper advertising has plummeted. Many newsrooms still operate under a dysfunctional business model in which “middlemen” — Google and Facebook — rake in roughly 70 percent of digital newspaper ad revenue, although they gather no news themselves. Newspapers today still make most of their money from subscribers and print ads. While the digital behemoths support various news projects, including RFA, they could do more to share revenue with local journalism. More states could do what New Jersey did with its Civic Information Bill, putting serious money toward helping local journalism. Universities, especially wealthy ones, also need to do more. Vartan Gregorian, former Brown University president, once called journalism “the quintessential knowledge profession,” and called on universities to better support it. “Our democracy,” he wrote, “depends on journalism to keep its institutions challenged and responsive to the public’s needs, and the quality of the profession demands the best a university can offer.”

Individually, we can all do more to insure we are getting the news that keeps us well informed. We can ask our local community foundation to start newspaper funds, like we have in Oxford. We can form a consortium to start up a local news outlet, supported by businesses and colleges. That partnership between Cox and Miami had a breakthrough this year, with Miami journalism students now contributing weekly to Cox’s Oxford Press.

National initiatives such as RFA are doing much to reverse the disastrous trends in local journalism. But the national news media–-often reluctant to cover journalism itself as a news story—must do a better job. Individually, we can also write our elected representatives and ask what they are doing. Back when our newest Ohio senator, J.D. Vance, was on the college speaking circuit, he visited Miami, where his cousin (who later worked as a DDN reporter) was a journalism student. At the time, Vance seemed interested in building bridges to help heal our partisan divide and in improving that state of local journalism in Ohio. Back then, he said he might be interested in helping. Now Senator Vance has a real chance. Write to him.

In the 1780s – before he was president — Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to a delegate to the Continental Congress about the importance of a free press as a watchdog on government. He famously said if he had to choose between “a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Our Constitution singles out only one business enterprise by name for protection in the Bill of Rights – “the press.” Since colonial America, newspapers have helped us make choices on everything from the food we eat to the representatives we elect. Local journalism has long been at the center of democracy, telling our stories and documenting a community’s life, and now it needs our support.

Richard Campbell is professor emeritus and founding chair of the Media, Journalism & Film department at Miami University. Campbell is also proud graduate of Carroll High School, Class of ‘67, where he wrote his first news story.

This article is tied to a short course class Dr. Campbell is teaching for Miami's Institute of Learning in Retirement (ILR).  

THE DECLINE OF JOURNALISM IN THE NEW PARTISAN ERA (Miami University Course Description)
Over the last 20 years, the U.S. has lost more than half the workforce of daily newspaper reporters. A University of North Carolina initiative has now labeled more than 1,800 U.S. towns and communities as “news deserts” with no local print or digital reporting. More than 2,100 daily and weekly papers have stopped publishing since 2004. According to a 2019 Brookings Institution study, millions of Americans today see mainly national TV stories, many of which “focus heavily on partisan conflict.” Brookings also found the decline in local reporting has been accompanied by “a diminished capacity to hold elected officials and other local leaders accountable and a general disengagement from local
politics.” In spotlighting the history of journalism in the U.S. through six significant eras, this course traces the early partisan press through to our new partisan era and the simultaneous rise of the internet and decline of local journalism.  

Instructor: Richard Campbell is Professor Emeritus and Founding Chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film at Miami University. He is author and co-author of five books, including 60 Minutes and the News: A Mythology for Middle America.  He helped found the digital Oxford Observer in 2018 and served as Executive Producer of Training for Freedom, a documentary on Oxford’s role in the historic events of Freedom Summer. In 2019, Campbell received Miami’s Benjamin Harrison Medallion Award.  

5 Mondays: March 27–April 24; 10:45 am–noon
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, The Knolls of Oxford, Auditorium

Dayton comedian performs at legendary Apollo Theater

By Jessica Graue, Contributing Writer, Dayton.com
Feb 17, 2023

Four years ago 21-year-old Jerrel Beamon graduated from Carroll High School in Riverside. Two weeks ago he performed at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York City. For someone who’s known he’s wanted to do comedy since he was 10, he seems to be on the right track.

While Beamon has been performing since 2019, his first foray into trying comedy was at a talent show in high school when he was 16. But according to him, that might not be the best way to start a comedy career.

“The show was in front of 300 people and I got third place,” Beamon recalled. “I wouldn’t advise that be your first time. I went to not just a school but a private Catholic school. People were laughing thinking this could go somewhere.”

His first open mic was at Wiley’s Comedy Club where he’s met many comedians that have helped him on his journey. Over the years he has honed his skills and style.

“I’m very thought-provoking about silly stuff,” he said. “I trick people into thinking I’m going to be deep and then it’s silly. It’s total misdirection.”

Beamon has traveled to many places to do comedy. During a show in Akron two years ago, Beamon was interrupted on stage by Bob Sumner, one of the co-creators of HBO’s Russell Simmon’s Def Comedy Jam. Sumner proclaimed that he “found his guy.”

“He had me fly out to the East Coast for a 30-minute special,” Beamon said. “He booked the night at the Apollo. It was a great honor. I had only been performing for three years. My first thought was ‘I made it.’”

As Beamon was walking up to the Apollo Comedy Club with his dad on Thursday, Feb. 2, he saw his name across the marquee. Beamon said that the show was sold out, and the whole night was surreal.

“I’m not usually too sappy but that was the most memorable thing right before (the show),” he said. “It was a little emotional. You go through so much in this journey and now I see the results come out of it at a historic place.”

Beamon took the stage after the host and stuck to his tried-and-true material. Although Beamon was performing in New York City, he made sure to give some love back to Dayton. He made sure the audience knew where he was from.

“Some people get to New York and want to talk about New York but I didn’t care,” he said.”I talked about Dayton. It was transcendent and they found it relatable. Some people who like your act want to know where you’re from and Dayton is who I am.”

Beamon made sure to shout out to Dayton comedians who have shown him love throughout his career. He currently hosts a podcast with Dayton comedian Ray Jackson called the “Unk & Nephew” podcast. Beamon wants to produce more of his own shows and promote local talent.

“I want to make comedy for the people,” he said. “I want to carve something out in the Midwest for the talent we have here. I want to give some shine to all the unsung people. I want to stay humble and professional. It’s gotten me this far.”

While he’s only been doing stand-up a short time, Beamon has a special in the works as well as numerous sold-out shows on the books. He stressed that getting into stand-up isn’t easy and being able to ignore some of the social media chatter is necessary.

“Don’t care about what people say about you failing,” he said. “You’ll be stronger and better. The audience didn’t see all the times that I failed but those moments have helped me get to where I am now.”

For the complete article, go here: https://www.dayton.com/what-to-know/dayton-comedian-performs-at-legendary-apollo-theater/DU4RILR56VD7RFETYBOBF6TWUI/

Brownsville’s Schlater surpasses 100,000-mile milestone

Posted 10/26/22 by Edward Severn, Staff Writer, The Brownsville Herald

BROWNSVILLE — Brownsville’s Michael Schlater saved a half-mile — two laps — of the Brownsville St. Joseph’s track Friday evening. The cross country team joined its assistant cross country coach for the first lap, while motivational music blared through the speakers.

Schlater continued without the team for the last quarter mile — the final lap — and received a standing ovation from the fans waiting for a football game to start. Schlater’s stride began to match the rhythm of the music and as he crossed the finish line, family, friends and the cross country team gathered to celebrate the dedicated runner.

The 55-year-old global strategy manager accomplished a feat 41 years in the making: completing his 100,000th mile throughout his running career.

“A lifelong dream came to reality in less than four minutes,” Schlater said. “Unbelievable. I shared it with all the kids, my mom, my brother, living legend track coaches. It could not have been better on such a beautiful night here.”

Schlater began tracking his miles at age 14 when his parents gave him a Runner’s World Log Book. He began logging his miles Feb. 23, 1981. By the end of that year, he had trekked more than 1,000 miles.

It took Slater 24 years to reach the halfway mark of 50,000 miles, doing so Oct. 12, 2005. The achievement put the 100,000-mile goal in his brain, he said.

St. Joseph’s brought Schlater on as an assistant coach in after his first son enrolled at the school. He credits the school for helping reaching the milestone.

“Quite honestly, having the ability to run in the afternoon, two times a day, has been very instrumental in me being able to get to where I am now,” Schlater said. “Having the motivation from the kids to be their coach and the whole support staff, truthfully, I would not be here today without them.”

Having a cross country coach that has 100,000 miles under their belt is “insane,” St. Joseph’s senior Alejandro Ramirez said.

“There are very few people in this world that will do that, and he is one of them,” Ramirez said. “I am very proud to be one of his athletes. He made me the runner who I am today. All the victories and championships we have won is because of him.”

Schlater hit 75,000 miles March 12, 2015, and the dream was starting to become a reality.

“What he has done has touched every single one of us, all of the coaches, even the coaches that he has looked up to are touched by what he has done and the kids admire him so much,” St. Joseph’s head cross country coach Teddy Lopez said. “He has touched a lot of lives here and it is very much appreciated.”

Junior Cesar Silguero and sophomore Jimena Herrera are two more of Schlater’s athletes who are inspired by the milestone.

“I started cross country my freshman year and I was not the best, and I am still not the best, but he is just so uplifting and such a nice person to be around,” Herrera said. “He is always reminding us that we can do it. I am so grateful he is my cross country coach.”

Silguero echoed similar compliments.

“He has been an inspiration to me and all of my teammates,” Silguero said. “My parents are amazed by all the things he does. They are very proud of having me be coached by someone like him, who is a living legend in the Valley and the rest of the world.”

Schlater will submit his accomplishment to a blog maintained by 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot. The blog tracks athletes who have achieved the milestone. Schlater has been in touch with Burfoot, he said.

Burfoot chronicles the runners on the website 100klifetimemiles.com and has 115 runners listed who have achieved the milestone.

Schlater works for a company called Aptiv, a global technology company across the border in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The job at times requires the 55-yearold to travel, allowing Schlater to trek miles in other countries such as Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Canada.

Several thousand of the miles occurred in Mexico. The day after Schlater wrapped up his 100,000mile goal, he ran a 5 kilometer- race in Matamoros.

Schlater has ran numerous 5k and 10k events. Two of his longest races were the Bobby Crim 10 miles in Flint, Michigan, and the River Corridor Classic a half marathon and 5k in Schlater’s Dayton, Ohio, hometown.

The 55-year-old runner also has another prestigious running achievement. Schlater is on a 7,712-day running streak, currently ranked 105th overall in the world. He hasn’t missed a day of running since Sept. 11, 2001.

There are 4,098 streaks being tracked by Streak Runners International and the United States Running Streak Association.

“Running embodies everything about me,” Schlater said. “It embodies dedication, discipline, it is a physical manifestation of that. It is something that I thoroughly enjoy to relieve stress and to have my own time for myself. It is something that has grown on me for years and years that aligns with me and my personality.”

Maybe 150,000 miles is the next goal for the cross country coach, but for now Schlater will be up and running at 4:45 a.m. around Brownsville.

To see another article about Mike, go to Valley Central News Website.